If you want to install Linux on Chromebook, you can try the method introduced in this post to do this. Ubuntu is a Linux distribution derived from Debian and it is widely used. NewsPivot will show you how to install Ubuntu on a Chromebook using a chroot (a third-party script). This can make Ubuntu have its own pretend root directory system on your Chromebook, thus you can dual-run ChromeOS and Ubuntu.

What to Prepare Before Installing Ubuntu on a Chromebook

Before you install Ubuntu on a Chromebook, you need to prepare the following things:

  • A Chromebook with an Intel or ARM CPU.
  • Know some basic command-line knowledge.
  • At least 1 GB of free storage space on your device.

Something You Should Know

You should know that crouton is not part of the Ubuntu project. It is a third-party script that can help you install Ubuntu/Linux on your Chromebook. Canonical or the Ubuntu project doesn’t offer support for crouton. If you update ChromeOS, the Ubuntu installation may become inaccessible.

How to Install Ubuntu on a Chromebook

Please follow this step-by-step to install Ubuntu on a Chromebook.

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode

Note:
Enabling the Developer Mode will erase all files and user information on the device. ChromeOS is an online-centric operating system, so most of your data is stored remotely. However, you still need to back up the files that are stored locally.

Why do you need to go to Developer Mode first? That’s because the Chromebook doesn’t allow you to use chroots out-of-box, but you can do it in the Developer Mode.

Before you get the Developer Mode, you first need to go to Recovery Mode. Just use these steps to do this job:

1. Power off your Chromebook if it is still one.

2. Press and hold the ESC and Refresh keys, then press the Power button to power your device. This will lead you to the Recovery Mode.

3. Press Ctrl + D while in the Recovery Mode. Then, you can see an option: turn OS verification OFF. Just select Enter to do this.

4. The Chromebook will boot up and you will see a warning screen with a message saying OS verification is OFF. Now, you need to press Ctrl + D to continue and then you will enter the Developer Mode.

Note:
After the above steps, you will always see the warning screen every time you boot your Chromebook. You need to press Ctrl + D to continue. However, you should not use the onscreen instructions to enable OS verification, because this will erase your data on the device and disable Developer Mode.

Step 2: Installing Ubuntu with crouton

Here is how to get Ubuntu on a Chromebook with the help of the crouton script.

Under the Developer Mode:

Step 1. Go to this page https://goo.gl/fd3zc to download the crouton script.

Step 2. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Terminal, then run shell in it to open a shell. Now, you just have a full bash shell at the fingertips.

Step 3. Type sudo sh ~/Downloads/crouton -t unity in the Terminal and run it to start a simple setup. The Terminal will process the packages one after another and the whole process will last for a long time. However, you can do other things while the setup is processing.

An Alternative Way to Install Ubuntu on a Chromebook

According to your device’s specifications, the Unity desktop may be too demanding to set up the Ubuntu installation for you. If you prefer a lighter system, you can install LXDE or XFCE by replacing -t unity with -t lxde or -t xfce. For GNOME enthusiasts, try the -t gnome command instead. If you want to encrypt your chroot with a passphrase, add -e to the end of the installation command before you execute it. After that, you’ll need to enter the encryption password every time you access the chroot environment.

Switch between ChromeOS and Ubuntu

When the installation process ends, you will be required to enter your username and password. After that, you will enter the basic Ubuntu setup interface.

You can press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Back and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Forward to switch between your ChromeOS and Ubuntu. After you log out of Ubuntu, you will go back to the ChromeOS terminal tab that is running the system.

If you want to switch to Ubuntu in the future, you can type sudo startunity into your bash shell.

The Skills to Use Ubuntu on a Chromebook

Play Games

If you want to play games on a Chromebook with Ubuntu installed, you can run sudo apt install steam in the Terminal to get Valve’s Steam gaming client for Linux-based desktop gaming on the Chromebook. If you don’t have a Steam account, you need to register one in advance.

Run Firefox on ChromeOS

You can run sudo apt install firefox in the Terminal to install Firefox on your device and run it on ChromeOS.

Use Other Software

If you want to install other software, you can run sudo apt install gnome-software ubuntu-software in the Terminal to achieve the Software tool and use it to access other useful software. For example, you can install LibreOffice for full office productivity, GIMP for desktop image editing, Audacity for audio editing, or Kodi for multimedia video enjoyment. However, if you are a developer, you can install your IDE of choice and start hacking!

Bottom Line

After installing Ubuntu on a Chromebook, you can find that you can do anything like using a real Ubuntu desktop. Just start your interesting journey now!

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About The Author

Stella
Stella

Position: Columnist

Stella is an experienced news reporter at NewsPivot. She focuses on computing and mobile device issues like Linux and Android. As an English Editor, she has more than 14 years’ experience. Hope her articles can answer your questions.